Frederick E. Smith M.A.

Professional Genealogist
in New York City and State

Qualifications:

I am a professional genealogical researcher with almost twenty years of experience. I
specialize in the Greater New York City area and Eastern New York State. I offer full
genealogical research services, covering all periods of New York's history from
the Colonial Period through the Twentieth Century. I use all records available in the
NYC area libraries/archives and the NY State Library and Archives. I also travel to
local libraries, county courts, and records facilities throughout the region. Lastly,
I use the latest in computer technology and internet databases to access the most up to
date information. Professional memberships include the Association of Professional
Genealogists and the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society. Whether your research
goals are personal (tracing your family tree) or professional (locating missing
heirs/completing a due diligence search), I will put my years of knowledge and experience
to work for you.

Areas of Expertise:

Colonial/Early American Genealogy

New York has always been the Gateway to America, beginning with the Colonial Period. Many families entered America via the Dutch Colony of New Amsterdam or the Royal Colony of New York. Still others migrated through New York State from New England or Canada, enroute west. Sometimes it takes a professional researcher on the ground to solve those tough research dilemmas or to exhaust all known records and give you the peace of mind that everything that could be researched has been. Genealogical research in the 1600s, 1700s, and early 1800s is not easy and requires a good deal of work in early records such as church, land, tax, probate, cemetery, and early manuscripts, but the reward can be great when success is attained.

The Huddled Masses - Nineteen and early Twentieth Century Genealogy

Record keeping improved considerably from roughly the middle 1800s onwards. New York was the front door to America as successive waves of immigrants from the Irish to the Germans, Scandinavians, Italians, and Eastern Europeans entered through the city. Some stayed and made their lives here, eventually spreading out throughout New York City and beyond into the suburbs. Others spent their early years in New York, before embarking upon the trip west into the Heartland. There are many good records to tap into including birth/death/marriage (NYC and NY state), federal and state censuses, church and synagogue, cemetery, probate, land, directories, military, newspapers and others. If your goal is to trace your roots back to Europe, naturalization and ships passenger records can be invaluable.

The Twentieth Century and Today: Navigating your way around New York's Restrictive Records Access Laws

Genealogy and locating missing family members becomes a challenge as you progress up into the Twentieth Century due to New York's restrictive vital records laws. An extreme example: NYC births are still closed to the general public after 1909!, while NY State deaths and marriages of less than 50 years are restricted. Fortunately there is access to the NYC birth and death indexes through the present which is helpful. All of this makes locating people tougher, but not impossible. Such records as probate files, land/tax records, social security records, cemetery plot lists, newspaper notices, and others can be used to trace individuals. As an example, most NY State probate files created after 1980 will contain a death certificate - that's a good end run around the closed access law.

The Twentieth Century was also an era of continuously shifting demographics within the urban areas of the United States and New York was no exception. A knowledge of these patterns is vital in tracing people in the modern era. For instance, families followed certain relatively predictable migratory patterns from the older areas of NYC to the outer boroughs and out into the suburbs of Long Island, northern New Jersey and Upstate New York.

Forensic Genealogy and Missing/Unknown Heirs Research:

Often a situation will arise where genealogical research is needed to locate the heirs to an estate. In intestate cases there may be no known heirs. In some testate cases there may be legal heirs who cannot be located. It may be necessary to conduct a due diligence search in order to locate and legally serve all distributees of an estate. I locate missing and unknown heirs for attorneys, executors, administrators, probate research firms and others. In each case, the proper documentation will be provided to establish legal descent and an affidavit of due diligence produced. Heirs will be located
nationwide and abroad. Let me use my 15 years of experience to bring about positive results for you.

Educational Background:

MA - State University of New York at Albany, European History

BA - State University of New York at Albany, United States History

AAS - Columbia-Greene Community College, Business Administration

Guide to the Region - Areas that I cover:

Greater New York City Area

Defined as New York City itself, Nassau and Suffolk Counties on Long Island, the counties of northern New Jersey, and Rockland, Westchester and Fairfield Counties to the north. New York City as we know it today is actually the fusion of several formerly separate counties and cities. The consolidated City of New York includes the former City of Brooklyn (Kings County) as well as Queens County on Long Island. It also includes the Bronx (formerly the southern portion of Westchester County) and Richmond (Staten Island).

New York's Hudson River Valley

Steeped in history, the Hudson Valley stretches from New York City north to the foothills of the Adirondacks above Albany. Counties within this region include from south to north: Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Putnam, Dutchess, Ulster, Columbia, Greene, Albany, Schenectady, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Washington, and Warren. In terms of migration and settlement, the contiguous counties of western New England must also be included. These include Fairfield and Litchfield in Connecticut, Berkshire in Massachusetts, and Bennington, Windham, and Rutland in Vermont.

From the Catskills into the Central Leatherstocking Region and Mohawk Valley

From the original settled areas of the 1600s and early 1700s, settlement spread west and north into the Catskills, Mohawk Valley and beyond. Counties in these regions include: Sullivan, Delaware, Broome, Chenango, Otsego, Madison, Schoharie, Schenectady, Montgomery, Fulton, Herkimer, and Oneida.

New York City and New York State Vital Records:

New York City and New York State maintain separate vital records offices. Differing rates and procedures apply in the two jurisdictions. Click Here for a more detailed description of what vital records are available and the procedure/fees to order a search/copy of a record. I offer rapid turn-around and special expedited rates if time is of the essense.

In Upstate New York, I charge a basic fee of 35 cents per mile for on-site research (Albany area excluded) - based upon the round trip distance from Saugerties, NY. You will not be billed for commute time - just for mileage. Click Here for an example of how the travel expense would apply within Upstate New York.

Process:

The research process will begin with a consultation, preferably via email or phone. From there, a research plan will be devised to best meet your goals. A time/cost estimate will be provided and generally an upper limit of hours will be set. As noted above, I generally require a retainer for the first five hours of research, but that is negotiable if you have a smaller more narrowly defined request. A full research report, including documentation of all sources consulted, will be provided following the completion of research. Interim reports/updates will be forthcoming during extensive research projects. If further research is in order, I will provide specific recommendations.

You may use the form on my genealogyPro page to send inquiries, or address email to fresmith@hughes.net. I can also be reached by phone at (518) 895-874 or via post at 24 Crow Hill Road, Delanson, NY 12053. Where possible, I would ask that you try to set certain specific research goals and provide family group sheets laying out any known information about a family line. When emailing, please place your surname followed by the family surname to be researched in the subject line of the email. As an example: Smith/Johnson Family Research Inquiry.

Payment Procedure:

Payment can be made by cash, check, money order, or credit card. If you wish to make payment via paypal or major credit card, please indicate that in your email inquiry and I will invoice you electronically for the agreed upon amount.